walter_the_great Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 My dads car has been hit by a uninsured driver , he is a friend of the family and has admitted fault, is there anything that can be done? besides him paying for the repair. I do not want him to get inot trouble either(police etc) as mentioned previously he is known to us. any advice welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcool Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 If you don't want to get the police involved, the only thing is make sure he pays for the full cost of the repair at a bodyshop authorised by whatever make of car your father drives. I would seriously consider involving the police though, whilst I appreciate he is a friend of the family, if he hit a child or had killed someone in an RTA next month, how would you feel? There is no excuse for uninsured driving, none whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pincher Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 That's a tricky one. (IMO) I think you have a moral obligation to notify the relevant authorities that you know of an uninsured driver. OK, so it was your dad this time but who's to say that it won't be a little kid on a zebra-crossing next time?? Edit - was obviously writing the above at the same time as DJCool was posting, so apols for the similarity. But at least we are saying the same thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 The fact he's known to you wouldn't stop me reporting him to the police - unless he was very close family in which case I might just give him a good kicking. As an uninsured driver he's one of the worst types of motorists IMO. If you're not going to report him, and if he's going to pay for the repair, what more do you want to do about it? When you say "is there anything can be done?" what do you mean? He's uninsured, a danger to every motorist out there and to every pedestrian. He can wipe out a family of parents and young children...and anyone left to get over the trauma won't get a penny to help them through life - all because he decided he didn't need or couldn't afford insurance. As I said, I understand your predicament, but if it was me I'd be ringing the police unless he was very close family indeed. A family freind simply wouldn't suffice for me. He's no friend of the family when he's hit your father and left him with this situation, is he? Seriously, what other laws do they break? Motor insurance is law. Plain and simple - and it's an important law at that. Frankly, I wouldn't trust them as far as I could drag them on the underside of my cars whilst they were impaled on the axle.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pincher Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 And I think MrMe's comments will be the general consensus of opinion on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvantSE Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I have taken vehicles off uninsured drivers on numerous occasions. Even supposedly reputable people have been caught driving without insurance, some because they didn't keep up with the payments even though they had taken policies out. Once such person has just been given 6 points, £250+£40 costs as his policy was cancelled because he owed about £20 to the insurer. The number of uninsured drivers (and drink drivers come to that) is frightening. And the number of motorists without a driving licence, or driving on (sometimes expired) provisionals with no supervision is also an eye opener. If it were me, I would do my best to get the book thrown at him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_the_great Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I understand what everyone is saying, but as i mentioned before, he is quite close to the family(sorry if i wasnt clear) This is a really tricky situation for us, im not sure what were gonna do. When he hit the car, he was parking, and he scraped the side of my dads car. [ QUOTE ] When you say "is there anything can be done?" what do you mean? [/ QUOTE ] The guy cannot afford to pay for the damage, what i mean is there any kind of policy that i can claim against? or maybe go through my own insurance(but wont that affect my policy?) im really stuck with this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5to1 Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Isn't there an un-insured drivers fund you can claim against should you be hit by someone who has no insurance? Nothing to do with this situation. As you'd have to report him. But just for future reference should it happened to someone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_the_great Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Isn't there an un-insured drivers fund you can claim against should you be hit by someone who has no insurance? Nothing to do with this situation. As you'd have to report him. But just for future reference should it happened to someone else. [/ QUOTE ] just read this after i submitted my reply, does anybody have the details to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I agree with MrMe. I saw a TV prog recently which showed the success Hampshire Police were having with their new powers to confiscate and crush cars due to no insurance etc. They crushed something like 1,100 cars in their first month!! When caught, the car owners were lying very very blatently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5to1 Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Isn't there an un-insured drivers fund you can claim against should you be hit by someone who has no insurance? Nothing to do with this situation. As you'd have to report him. But just for future reference should it happened to someone else. [/ QUOTE ] just read this after i submitted my reply, does anybody have the details to this? [/ QUOTE ] Wouldn't be relevant in your case. Since you don't want to report the other party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcool Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] The guy cannot afford to pay for the damage, what i mean is there any kind of policy that i can claim against? or maybe go through my own insurance(but wont that affect my policy?) im really stuck with this one [/ QUOTE ] Not without reporting him. You could get your father to claim off his own policy as one would in the case of someone parking like that in a car park and then driving off without leaving details, however that would leave your father out of pocket for the excess and he would have a claim on the policy driving his insurance up. If he can't afford to repair the damage, I assume he can't afford the insurance hence no insurance. I'd still report him to the police, but otherwise offer to let him pay over a 6 month period provided he gives up driving until he can actually afford the insurance. If he won't give up driving, report him to the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby_simon Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 S3Boy, He needs to be shopped for this. You say he cannot afford to pay for the damage, has he sold the car he is not allowed to drive yet ? If not, he should be doing so to fund the damage he has done. Has he said he will not drive again as he is un-insured ? If he has, then sell the car and get payment that way. If he has said that he will continue to drive, down the cop-shop PDQ. How would you feel if he hurt someone next time ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Is he still driving? If he is...it goes much further beyond your family. I think you have a moral obligation to report him. Think children. Think parents. Think death. It puts things into perspective. I shouldn't put such pressure on, I know, because he's the culprit and not you - but could you live with it if he killed a child next week in his uninsured car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] could you live with it if he killed a child next week in his uninsured car? [/ QUOTE ] Do the right thing. Shop him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sufu Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] S3Boy, He needs to be shopped for this. You say he cannot afford to pay for the damage, has he sold the car he is not allowed to drive yet ? If not, he should be doing so to fund the damage he has done. Has he said he will not drive again as he is un-insured ? If he has, then sell the car and get payment that way. If he has said that he will continue to drive, down the cop-shop PDQ. How would you feel if he hurt someone next time ? [/ QUOTE ] good point, force his hand into selling the car by threatening to report him, that should teach him a lesson without bringing the cops into it... unless he refuses to sell, in which case can you really call him a "friend"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark_90 Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I'm sorry but it's people like him that make my, and everyone on here's insurance, ridiculously expensive. If he can't afford to pay the damage then it serves him right for driving without insurance, and you should squeeze every penny out of him until it's paid. With interest. He should be shopped, taken to court, and he should have the bloody book thrown at him. Family friend or not. I wouldn't hesitate in doing so, if it was my best friend or even a member of my family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpongpo Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 If people can't afford to pay for all the things that go with driving a car they shouldn't drive. When I was 18, I hit my mate at a roundabout doing a little bit of damage to his/my car. I said i'd pay for it myself as it would cost less to get both cars repaired than it would to go through my insurance and everyone was cool with it. So because this guy is a friend, your dad is out of pocket as he has to pay his excess and then his premium will go up next year. If this 'friend' keeps hitting your dads car, it may be your dad next who can't afford to insure his own car. If he said he wasn't going to pay for it my immediate next call would be the cop shop. If thats what you call friends, I'd hate to have enemies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_the_great Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 some good advice guys, what im going to do is, try and force him to stop driving(i think if i just mention the police, that should be enough) also i am a bit peeved about him damaging the car, but no major damage done, what i was considering, was telling him to pay for half the repair, and promising to stop driving, and if he does drive, i will have to report him. what you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcool Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] some good advice guys, what im going to do is, try and force him to stop driving(i think if i just mention the police, that should be enough) also i am a bit peeved about him damaging the car, but no major damage done, what i was considering, was telling him to pay for half the repair, and promising to stop driving, and if he does drive, i will have to report him. what you guys think? [/ QUOTE ] If it was his fault, then he should pay full costs AND stop driving at least until he is insured. If your dad can pay for it upfront and let the guy pay over 3/6 months (provided he didnt drive) that would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvantSE Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Take it from me mate, those who drive without insurance (knowingly), or those who drink drive, very rarely stop. They will swear blind they will never do it again, but they do. Even though some get caught and lose their licences for such things, or get loads of penalty points for driving without insurance, they still do it. I cannot believe you are seriously considering letting him get away with it. These people only learn one way, and that is by being dealt with by the law. And if they don't learn, they will face the consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saab Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I don't want to repeat what everyone else has said but uninsured drivers really are scum - I make no apology for being so blunt because I had my car written off by one of these twats when I had only had it for two days. I only had third-party insurance at the time so I ended up losing a significant (to me at the time) amount of money, not to mention considerable anxiety as my mother was injured as the car ended up rolling on to its roof in the accident (admittedly it was only a cut arm which she did as she was crawling out through the broken windsreen - but still it could have been much worse). I do recognise that you are in a difficult situation and if you are happy with you decision then fine, personally I don't think I would be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] There is no excuse for uninsured driving, none whatsoever. [/ QUOTE ] In general, I would agree with you. However, someone close to me drove without insurance for several months when no renewal invitation or reminder was received from the insurance company. Due to genuine oversight, this person had failed to realise that the cover had expired, and would have been gutted to have their £18k car crushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcool Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] There is no excuse for uninsured driving, none whatsoever. [/ QUOTE ] In general, I would agree with you. However, someone close to me drove without insurance for several months when no renewal invitation or reminder was received from the insurance company. Due to genuine oversight, this person had failed to realise that the cover had expired, and would have been gutted to have their £18k car crushed. [/ QUOTE ] Genuine oversight or not, it was that persons responsibility to make sure that they're insured. I know the exact date of my renewal in September but for those who can't remember a simple diary entry would suffice I don't think the excuse of not recieving a renewal note would stand up in court, or even to a traffic officer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 [ QUOTE ] My dads car has been hit by a uninsured driver , he is a friend of the family and has admitted fault, is there anything that can be done? besides him paying for the repair. I do not want him to get inot trouble either(police etc) as mentioned previously he is known to us. any advice welcome [/ QUOTE ] Report him. You wouldn't be feeling so "charitable" if he had just run down a young child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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